Device for transferring batches of cigarettes in an automatic packing machine



I March 19,70. A. SERAGNOLI 3,501,023 DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING BATCHES OF CIGARETTES IN AN AUTOMATIC PACKING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1968 r 2 SheetsSheet 1 ArioaTo sera im f M u; Agosk March 1970 A. SERAGNOLI 3,501,023

DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING BATCHES OF GIGARETTES IN AN AUTOMATIC PACKING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet z mvsmox. Am'osfo 5e rasnoli United States Patent 3,501,023 DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING BATCHES 0F CIGARETTES IN AN AUTOMATIC PACK- ING MACHINE Ariosto Seragnoli, Via della Rose 50, Bologna, Italy Filed Apr. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 721,526 Claims priority, application Italy, Apr. 20, 1967, 1 615/67 Int. Cl: B65g 29/00 US. Cl. 214-4 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device capable of effecting the transfer of cigarettes gathered together in batches, each batch corresponding to a packet, from the line in which the formation of the batches occurs to the line in which the batches are conditioned into packets, in auto matic conditioning-wrapping-packing machines for cigarettes.

Automatic machines are known for the manufacture of packets of cigarettes in which the cigarettes proceed through successive phases of their conditioning, maintained with their longitudinal shafts orientated according to the direction of advance, while the formation of the envelopes occurs folding the wrapping material either on a tubular mandrel in which the batches of cigarettes are pushed, or alternatively directly on the body of the cigarettes which thus function as folding mandrels. It occurs therefore that the cigarettes are continually stressed, particularly in the direction of their longitudinal developments, and that is at their ends. In fact, in all the work phases, both those relative to the formation of the envelope and those of simple transfer between the successive conditioning stations, the cigarettes are subjected to axial stresses which inevitably determine a decadence in the characteristics of the cigarettes in particular, producing crumpling or wrinkling on the cigarette paper, while the tobacco, inside the cigarette paper, loses in part its compactness, which forms however a fundamental requisite in the quality of the cigarette. In order to obviate this, machines and apparatuses have been devised whose fundamental principle is that of attempting to avoid the subjection of the cigarettes, during the successive phases of conditioning into packets, to axial stresses.

The apparatuses operate in manner such that the cigarettes are presented, during their conditioning, always arranged transversally with respect to the direction of adwance of the production cycle. Moreover, in the same machines, the batches of cigarettes designed to form the sin gle packets are constantly contained, protected and guided within surfaces or by holding means in general; this in order to maintain the batches, for the duration of the working, perfectly compact and already conformed, in the arrangement of the cigarettes which form said batches, as they will be packed.

It is understood that in similar machines it is necessary to transfer the batches of cigarettes from one work sta- 3,501,023 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 tion to another work station respecting said fundamental principle of guaranteeing the absolute integrity of the cigarettes.

It is realised also that, in general, an analogous problem is presented in all those operator machines in which in1- portance is attached to the rigorous safeguard of the product worked when it is, by its nature, delicate.

Consequently the principal purpose of this invention is that of providing a device which can transfer batches of cigarettes from the line in which they are formed to the line of conditioning into packets in manner such that the batches, already conformed as they will be packed in packets, are constantly guided, accompanied, and never stressed, in particular manner of the axial direction, so as to guarantee the integrity of the cigarettes.

A further object of this invention is that of providing a device which can achieve the above-mentioned transfer at high speed, so as to be able to be easily adapted to conditioning machines having high production speeds of packets of cigarettes per unit time.

These and other objects, which will be better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for the intermittent transfer of successive batches of cigarettes arranged in side-by-side relationship according to one or more parallel layers, which is characterized in that it comprises a wheel or hub provided with radial princers, said pincers comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, mean capable of rotating said hub intermittently about its own shaft in phase with the presentation of the successive batches of cigarettes to the device, means capable of cyclically separating said jaws so as to pass during the rotation from a first opening position, in order to receive the batch of cigarettes, through a closing position for the transfer of said batch, to a sec ond opening position opposite in position to said first position, for the abandonment of said batch, the holding surface of at least one of said jaWs having a plurality of side-by-side cradles developing according to the shaft of said wheel, each of said cradles being shaped so as to receive longitudinally a cigarette, pusher means being provided for the introduction of the cigarettes inside said jaws, so that the cigarettes of one layer of the batch will be housed in said side-by-side cradles being retained in them, translator means removing the batch of cigarettes starting from said second position of opening of the pincers for the transfer of the batch to successive work stations.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a device for the transfer of batches of cigarettes or the like, according to the invention, in its application to a conditioning machine for packets of cigarettes illustrated in an indicative and not limiting way in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows, part in view and part vertical longitudinal sections, according to different planes, a device according to the invention in its application to a machine for conditioning cigarettes into packets; and

FIG. 2 shows the same device part in view and part in vertical cross-sections according to different planes.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the device according to the invention is described in its advantageous application to a conditioning machine, for packets of cigarettes. of the class described in my co-pending patent application No. 721,525, filed Apr. 15, 1968.

Consequently the working of such machine is briefly recalled, limitingly to those members which concern this invention. The machine comprises, in substance, a formation line of batches of cigarettes, which batches, once formed, are transferred towards successive conditioning stations advancing in step according to a direction perpendicular to the shaft of the cigarettes, that is transversally to themselves.

The formation line of the batches and the line of conlitioning the batches into packets develop parallelly and ;ide-by-side. For such reason it is necessary to operate the :ransfer of the batches of cigarettes from the end of the Formation line to the beginning of the conditioning line. From this it is evident that one of the possible applications of the device acording to the invention may be precisely that of effecting the said transfer.

Passing therefore to the description of the device itself, be primary motion shaft is indicated by reference numeral 1 and is supported by the rigid framework 111. Said shaft nay coincide with the primary shaft of the conditioning nachine, or may be derived from this, or still may be inlependent. The shaft 1 carries, rigid with it, two cog Wheels 2 and 3. A shaft 4, perpendicular to said shaft 1 1nd supported at 5 and 6 by the framework 1a, has a :og wheel 7 rigidly mounted on it which meshes with the :og wheel 2. In this manner the motorization of the shaft 1 occurs. The same shaft 4 carries moreover, rigid with it, 1 rhomboid cam, or revolving drum, 8. The cam 8, prolided at the opposite ends with a pair of rollers 9 and [0, enters into engagement with the profile of a revolvng Maltese-cross member 11, entraining it in rotation with cyclically variable speed.

The Maltese cross wheel 11 is rigid with a shaft 12, parallel to the shaft 4, which projects from the rigid framework It: bearing at its end a wheel with four radial pincers generally indicated at 13. The wheel 13 comprises a hub 14 secured on the shaft 12 and free to revolve with it. The four pincers are symmetrically arranged m the said hub 14, that is, aligned and opposite two-by- :wo according to two perpendicular diameters. Each incer comprises a first jaw 15, and a second jaw 16. Both the jaws are fork-shaped, so that, in practice, each pincer may be considered as being formed of the combinaion of two equal pincers, parallel and side-by-side.

The jaw 15 is secured by conventional means to the rub 14, being consequently rigid with it. The jaw 16 is .nstead secured by conventional means to a spindle 17, which is supported so as to be free to revolve, in an ec- :entric position, by said hub 14. Said spindle 17 consequently develops parallelly to said shaft 12. It extends :owards the framework of the machine. Each of the jaws l5 defines a holding surface plane 15a, while each of the aws 16 has a holding surface, corresponding and side-byside with the said surfaces 15a, having an undulating proile so as to define a succession of side-by-side cradles 16a. The profile of these cradles corresponds to the faces of he cigarettes, more precisely each cradle has a cylindrical IIC shape whose radius is substantially equal to the radius )f the cross-section of a cigarette, and whose peripheral development is less than half the circumference of the lCCtlOIl of the cigarette. Therefore, as is known, the ciga- :ettes which are packaged in packets are arranged there side-by-side according to two or more parallel layers; :he batches of cigarettes which reach the device according :o the invention are already conformed to this arrangement. Consequently, in the closure position, the jaws 15 and 16 are parallel and spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the batch of cigarettes (the :otal thickness of the parallel layers of cigarettes); while be number of cradles 16a will be equal to the number of :igarettes in side-by-side arrangement in one of the ex- :ernal layers of the group, in order to be able to house :hem.

A radial arm 18 is attached to the end of the spindle 17, :he end 19 of said radial arm being collar-shaped and forming a support for the shaft 20 of a revolving roller 21.

Said roller 21 engages with a disc cam 22 and, more prezisely, with an eccentric groove 23 formed in the surface of said cam. Said cam 22 is mounted idle coaxially to the shaft 12. It is furthermore provided with a stirrup or arm 24 which extends radially and whose end forms the pivot for the end of a tie-rod 25 whose other end is articulated in 26 to a lever 27 with two arms 28 and 29.

Said lever 27 is pivoted about a shaft 30 and at the end of said arm 29 it carries an idle roller 31 which cooperates with a cam 32 with eccentric frontal groove 33. The cam 32 is carried by a shaft 34 perpendicular to the main shaft 1 and is entrained in rotation, through a cogwheel 35 rigid with said shaft 34, by the wheel 3 carried by the main shaft 1. In this manner the idle cam 22 is constrained, through the tie-rod 25 and the lever 27, to the movement followed by the roller 31 in its engagement with the cam 32. Consequently the cam 22 accomplishes an oscillating rotational movement about the shaft 12.

Two similar levers 36, 36a are pivoted in their lower section, through the respective sleeves 37, 37a, to a transverse common shaft 38. Reference will now be made to the single lever 36, it being understood that what is described shall be extended in equivalent manner to the lever 36a.

In an intermediate section of the longitudinal development of the lever 36 is attached the common shaft of a pair of revolving rollers 39 and 40. This pair of rollers co-operate with a cam 41 rigid with the shaft 34 and provided with a double eccentric guide 42 and 43 for the rollers 39 and 40, respectively. At its upper end, said lever 36 is pivoted, with the interposition of a link 44, at 45 to a parallelepiped protuberance 46. Situated on either side of said protuberance, and rigid with it, are two aligned sections of a horizontal rod-like member 47, which consequently develops parallelly to the shaft 1. Due to the rotation of the shaft 34, and in consequence of the cam 41, the lever 36 performs an oscillating movement about its own pivot shaft 38, so that the rod-like member 47 is also similarly associated to a reciprocal to-and-fro movement in the direction of its own shaft. The shaft 47 is constrained, in its longitudinal translational movement, by the engagement of the rollers 48, revolving about the shaft 49 rigid with the said protuberance 46, inside a longitudinal guide 50.

As has been said, a similar arrangement applies to the lever 36a, whose corresponding members are indicated by the same reference numerals with the addition of the letter a. More particularly, there is a second rod-like member 47a, parallel and in side-by-side relationship with the member 47, said rod-like member 47a also being associated to a reciprocal movement. The cam 41a is however realised in a maner in which a certain displacement of phase occurs between the movement of rod-like members 47 and 47a, as will be seen, more precisely, shortly.

A protuberance 51, forming the support base of a first translator member 52, is rigidly attached to the shaft 47, while a further protuberance 51a, forming the support base of a second translator member 52a designed to cooperate with the member 52, is rigidly attached to the shaft 47a. At the ends of the translator members 52 and 52a two vertical and preferably arched surfaces are defined, 53 and 53a respectively, parallel between each other and spaced apart by a section substantially corresponding to the length of the larger side of the bases of the packets of cigarettes. The members 52 and 52a develop along two vertical parallel planes respectively which are contained inside two vertical parallel planes containing the branches of the forked jaws 15 and 16.

The profiling of the cams 41 and 41a is such that, as has been said, a certain displacement of phase exists between their movements. More particularly, the members 52 and 52a translate rigidly until arriving in the proximity of the end (for instance the right end looking at FIGURE 1) of their displacement.

Here some inversion of advance, only in the sense of translation, of one of the rods (for instance 47) occurs, whence the surfaces 53 and 53a open. Then, the direction of motion of the rod 47 also being reversed, the said surfaces close again, retaking their journey in the opposite direction. At the opposite end of their displacement they reopen, and then close once again.

At the end of their journey (towards the right in FIG- URE 1) the translator members 52 and 52a enter into the space contained between the branches of the said fork. More precisely the holding surfaces 53 and 53a are arranged in the range of the beginning and the end of the succession of the side-by-side arrangement of cradles of one of the pincers which is arranged horizontally and to the left of the support hub. In this position of the said pincer, a face presented by the support member 54 is practically aligned with the plane defined by the cradles of the relative jaw, inside the branches of the jaw. Furthermore, said member 54 has a longitudinal aperture in order to allow the insertion of the translator 52 between the jaws. The opposite limit switch of the rods 47 and 47a causes the two translator members 52 and 52a to translate (to the left in FIG. 1) until arriving to the first station of the line for conditioning the cigarettes into packets, where the batches of cigarettes are given up to other members.

The working of the transfer device described until now is as follows:

The rotation, with uniform angular speed, of the main shaft 1 is transmitted, through the cog wheels 2 and 7, to the cam or revolving drum 8, which consequently also rotates with uniform motion about the shaft 4.

The engagement of the rollers 9 and 10 of the cam 8 with the profile of the Maltese-cross wheel 11, rigid with its own shaft 12, gives rise, conversely, to an intermittent and. periodic rotation of the said shaft 12. The periodic rotation coincides with the step of advancement of the single batches of cigarettes coming from the formation line of the batches. The step may consequently accord with the time interval between the formation of two successive batches of cigarettes. More precisely, to each complete turn of the cam 8 there corresponds a rotation for half a turn of the cross 11, as well as the formation and advancement of two batches of cigarettes.

The wheel 13, being rigid with the shaft 12, is consequently also subjected to the same intermittent running, and similarly the four pincers forming said wheel.

While, however, the fixed jaws rigidly folow the rotation of the shaft 12, each of the movable jaws 16 accomplishes, during the same rotation, oscillations about its own engaging spindle 17. These oscillations, as has been seen, are determined by the cam 22 which, through the engagement of its own eccentric groove 23 with the roller 21 carried by the radial arm 18 rigid with the spindle 17 causes the latter, during the revolution of the said cam about the shaft 12, to complete reciprocal oscillating rotations which are transformed into corresponding movements of the movable jaws 16 which are rigid with said spindle. More precisely, the cam 22 is arranged in such manner that at each complete rotation of the Wheel 13 the jaws 16 open and close twice, upon reaching the two opposite horizontal positions.

To the movement described until now, Which is derived from the cam 22, another movement is added which occurs due to the fact that the cam 22 also rotates oscillating about its own shaft 12. This oscillating movement is determined by the lever member 27 which, pivoted to the shaft 30, engages, through the roller 31, with the cam 32, whence the said member 27 oscillates about the said shaft 30. Since said lever member 27 is connected with the end of its arm 28 and, through the tie-rod 25, to the radial arm 24 rigid with said cam 22, the latter follows the oscillatory movements of the member 27.

From the above it follows that the rollers 21, associated to each of the spindles 17 are subjected to the combination of two movements, and the result of this is that the opening of the movable jaws 16, with respect to the fixed ones 15, is anticipated, when a pair of opposite pincers arrive in proximity with the position of horizontal alignment; consequently the pincers remain spaced apart for a longer period of time, thus facilitating the operations of insertion and removal of the batches of cigarettes from the device.

The translator members 52 and 52a effect their translational movement, rigidly with the shaft 47 and 47a, in synchronism with the rotation of the four pincers. This translational movement is caused, as has been said, by the engagement of the levers 36 and 36a with the cams 41 and 41a. The phase between the reciprocal movements of the members 52 and 52a and the rotation of the pincers is such that when a pair of opposite pincers is near to the horizontal position, correspondingly the members 52 and 52a, having arrived at the end of their journey (on right, in FIG. 1), they open slightly. Therefore the parallel and vertical surfaces 53 and 53:: are already in proximity of the position which will be assumed by the two ends of the cradled profile 22 when the relative pincer has reached the horizontal positions.

There now follows the description of the journey of a batch of cigarettes from the moment in which it arrives at the device according to the invention until the moment in which it is abandoned by said device.

The batch is transversally inserted in the device, when a pincer is in a horizontal position and its jaws are spaced apart. More precisely, the batch of cigarettes must be already arranged for insertion in manner such that the cigarettes of the upper layer of the batch are exactly in correspondence, once inserted between the jaws, and the jaws are closed, with the side-by-side cradles of the right hand divergeable pincer. The insertion of the cigarettes, transversally to the plane of the pincer wheel 13, is effected by a suitable pusher means (not shown) which push the batch of cigarettes at their tips until they are inserted inside the jaws which, in this position of the pincer, are spaced apart. Once inserted, the cigarettes of the upper layer are exactly in correspondence with the cradles of the movable jaw. It must be noted that such transfer, transversal with respect to the jaws but axial with respect to the cigarettes, does not endanger the conservation or the integrity of the cigarettes. In fact, in order to effect the transfer the cigarettes are simply pushed without opposition, without therefore the exercise of stresses which may be harmful.

For this reason, this axial transfer does not conflict with the general concept which characterizes the device according to the invention and in general the conditioning machines mentioned above. This concept, it is repeated, consisting of the non-stressing of the ends of the cigarettes.

In order to avoid the possibility that the batch might become disarranged whilst the jaws are spaced apart, it is advantageous to provide a vertical movable wall 55 ccording to the cited patent application, which develops parallelly to the cigarettes and which is arranged, during this introduction phase, near the external end of the jaws of the right-hand pincer, so as to function as a containing wall.

When the cigarettes are positioned between the spaced apart jaws, the movable jaw closes on the fixed jaw and the cigarettes are retained with a minimal effort of the jaws.

This is because the holding action is simply derived from the cradled-shape of the movable jaw, and is transmitted through all the cigarettes of the batch by means of a series of oblique action and reaction forces between the various cigarettes. These forces being of very small consequence.

Then the rotational movement of the shaft 12 is resumed, and the batch of cigarettes arrive in the position diametrically opposite to that of insertion.

While arriving in such position, the batch of cigarettes are inserted exactly between the holding surfaces 53 and 53a, slightly opened, of the members 52 and 52a, whilst simultaneously the jaws of the pincers open. The batch, freed by the action of the jaws, is however retained by the surfaces 53 and 53a which replace said jaws, and moreover rest on fixed support plane 54.

At this point the surfaces 53 and 53a reclose on the batch of cigarettes, and the return stroke of the members 52 and 52a begins which, translating rigidly with the shafts 47 and 47a draw the batch of cigarettes in a radial direction away from the pincer which carried them, forwarding them to the conditioning stations. During this phase the batch of cigarettes slides horizontally on the said support plane 54.

The above described operations are similarly repeated for each batch of cigarettes, and the batches are inserted, in step with their formation, between the successive pairs of jaws which arrive in the right-hand horizontal position by means of the intermittent rotation of the wheel 13.

It has been ascertained in practice that the device, according to the invention, capable of effecting the transfer of batches of cigarettes perfectly achieves all the predetermined objects. More particularly, the transfer is effected in such manner as to safeguard the maximum integrity of the cigarettes and retain them constantly arranged in a compact batch forming the finished packet.

The invention thus conceived is capable of numerous modifications and variations, all lying within the scope of the inventive concept. Furthermore all the details may be substituted by other technically equivalent means.

What is claimed is:

.1. In a cigarette handling apparatus having one station where a given quantity of cigarettes is deposited in a bundle which is to be transferred to another station for further processing, a transfer mechanism for said bundles comprising a rotary member having radially extending arms terminating in jaws, each of said jaws comprising a fixed element and an element displaceable parallel thereto, said jaws being adapted to grasp said bundle at said first station and to release said bundle at said second station, intermittent drive means for said rotary member including a Maltese Cross wheel attached thereto, a rotary cam actuating said wheel, cam means for separating said jaws at said second station, and a pair of pincers adapted to grasp the ends of said cigarettes in said bundle at said second station prior to separation of said jaws and means actuated after separation of said jaws for displacing said closed pincers in a direction radial to said jaws, thereby removing said bundle.

2. A cigarette handling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said displaceable element of said jaws has a serrated face corresponding to the diametric configuration of said cigarettes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,112,621 3/1938 Henszey. 2,202,762 5/ 1940 Freed 198-21O X 3,043,447 7/1962 Lauck 198210 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

